§650 Definitions

Summary

Defines the main words used in this part of the law so people know what they mean. Agency means the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Appropriate congressional committees means the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the House Committee on Homeland Security. Cloud service provider means a company that offers cloud computing services as defined by NIST Special Publication 800‑145. Critical infrastructure information means nonpublic information about attacks, weaknesses, or operational problems affecting critical infrastructure or protected systems. Cyber threat indicator means information that helps describe or identify a cyber threat, such as scans, attack methods, vulnerabilities, command‑and‑control, or data taken. Cybersecurity purpose means protecting information or systems from cyber threats or weaknesses. Cybersecurity risk means threats, vulnerabilities, and their harmful consequences, and does not include only breaking a consumer terms‑of‑service. Cybersecurity threat means an action on or through a system that is not First Amendment protected and that may harm security, availability, confidentiality, or integrity; it excludes mere violations of consumer terms‑of‑service. Defensive measure means a tool or action used to detect, prevent, or reduce cyber threats or vulnerabilities, but not measures that destroy, make unusable, give unauthorized access to, or seriously harm systems you do not own or do not have consent to operate. Director means the Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Homeland Security Enterprise means the range of government and nongovernment groups working on homeland security. Incident means an event that actually or imminently and unlawfully threatens the integrity, confidentiality, or availability of a system or its information. Information Sharing and Analysis Organization means a public or private group set up to gather, study, share, and distribute critical infrastructure or cybersecurity information. Information system has the meaning in section 3502 of title 44 and includes industrial control systems like SCADA, DCS, and PLCs. Intelligence community has the meaning in section 3003(4) of title 50. Malicious cyber command and control means a way to remotely and unlawfully identify, access, or use a system or its information. Malicious reconnaissance means probing or monitoring a system to find vulnerabilities when tied to a suspected cyber threat. Managed service provider means a company that provides ongoing network, application, infrastructure, or security services on customer sites, in its own data center, or in a third‑party data center. Monitor means to collect, scan, or hold information on a system. National cybersecurity asset response activities means efforts like giving technical help, finding other at‑risk entities, assessing sector or regional risks, coordinating threat response, and advising on use of Federal resources to speed recovery. National security system has the meaning in section 11103 of title 40. Ransomware attack means using or threatening malicious code or other digital means to disrupt systems or lock or compromise data to extort payment, but it does not include demands that are not genuine or are made in good faith at the owner’s request. Sector Risk Management Agency means a Federal department or agency assigned by law or Presidential directive to lead or support a critical infrastructure sector. Security control means the management, operational, and technical safeguards used to protect a system and its information. Security vulnerability means any feature of hardware, software, process, or procedure that could help defeat a security control. Sharing means giving, receiving, and passing along information. SLTT entity means a State, local, Tribal, or territorial government or its subdivision. Supply chain compromise means an event in the supply chain that an attacker can use or does use to threaten a system or its data at any point in its life cycle.